Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, will be buried at sea.

A family spokesman said Thursday no other details on the timing or the location of the burial were available. Armstrong was a Navy fighter pilot before joining the space program.

A public memorial service will be held at the Washington National Cathedral on Sept. 13. The 10 a.m. service will be broadcast live on NASA Television and streamed on the websites of the cathedral and space agency. It will be open to the public on a first come, first served basis. But reservations still must be made through NASA.

A private service was held in Ohio for Armstrong, who died Aug. 25 at age 82.

For the past couple days, visitors have been making their way to the small northwestern Ohio town of Wapakoneta to remember astronaut, moon-walker, and native son, Neil Armstrong.

His desire to fly began at a very early age.

Its been called the greatest technological achievement of the 20th century: the July 1969 landing on the moon.

This week, after Armstrong’s death at the age of 82, Americans of all ages either fondly recall the moon landing or listen to accounts of the accomplishment.

Several weeks prior to the moonshot, longtime Columbus radio personality Tom Wiebell, interviewed Armstrong’s late father, Stephen Armstrong, on WRFD about his son’s early interest in aviation.

“Two-to-three years old, he coaxed his mother to buy a little airplane in the ten cent store,” the elder Armstrong said. “And there was an argument at that time between a ten and twenty cent plane, and of course he won out and his mother bought him a twenty cent plane.”

The twenty cent plane helped fire young Armstrong’s imagination and interest in flying.

His father indulged him, too. He tells of a time when he took his son on his first airplane ride.

“One time we were headed, at least his mother thought we were headed, for Sunday school, and they had a plane ride cheaper on the morning. And they escalated during the day, and so we skipped Sunday school and took our first airplane ride in a Ford Tri-motor. I was scared to death. He enjoyed it.”

And so that’s the first real evidence of flying. From then on, he’s went on to a number of feats, as you know.

Armstrong later served as a combat pilot in Korea and flew experimental aircraft that broke the sound barrier before being chosen for the space flight to the moon.

Armstrong’s training and steady demeanor came into play as he guided the moon landing craft away from an area of rocks and boulders to an area with a powdery surface called the Sea of Tranquility.

On Wednesday night, The Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta will remember the ’69 moonwalk. Museum Executive Director Chris Burton says it will end with a moon wink.

Just kind of turn to the moon and just give a wink together, as the Armstrong family has requested we do.

Armstrong was the first of twelve American astronauts to walk on the surface of the moon.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2012/08/28/armstrongs-hometown-to-honor-astronaut-with-wink-at-the-moon/feed/0astronaut,moon,Neil Armstrong,wapakonetaFor the past couple days, visitors have been making their way to the small northwestern Ohio town of Wapakoneta to remember astronaut, moon-walker, and native son, Neil Armstrong.For the past couple days, visitors have been making their way to the small northwestern Ohio town of Wapakoneta to remember astronaut, moon-walker, and native son, Neil Armstrong.WOSU Newsno2:34Moon Landing 40th Anniversary Gives Business a Boost in Wapakonetahttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/07/20/moon-landing-40th-anniversary-gives-business-a-boost-in-wapakoneta/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/07/20/moon-landing-40th-anniversary-gives-business-a-boost-in-wapakoneta/#commentsMon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000Christina Morganhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/07/20/moon-landing-40th-anniversary-gives-business-a-boost-in-wapakoneta/

Hailing the Apollo 11 astronauts as "three genuine American heroes," President Barack Obama says exploration spurs ingenuity and inspires students in math and science.

Hailing the Apollo 11 astronauts as “three genuine American heroes,” President Barack Obama says exploration spurs ingenuity and inspires students in math and science. Obama commemorated the day 40 years ago when Ohioan Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took man’s first steps on the moon.

During the weekend, many visitors found their way to Armstrong’s hometown of Wapakoneta and gave some businesses there a bit of economic boost. There, the Neil Armstrong Air & Space Museum sits on Apollo Drive near I-75. Jack Lambert owns Auglaize Antique Mall located about a mile from the museum. He reports seeing more customers in the store in recent days and reports an uptick in sales of items from the Apollo space missions.

Jack Lambert owns Auglaize Antique Mall located about one mile from the Neil Armstrong Air & Space Museum which sits on Apollo Drive near I-75 in Wapakoneta.

Four decades after the Apollo 11 moon landing, the rocks collected by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin are still helping researchers learn about the moon and the solar system. Washington University lunar geo-chemist Randy Korotev said Monday the rocks hold clues to meteorite bombardment on the moon 3.9 billion years ago, which coincided with what was happening on Earth. Those clues might lend insight into life’s origins on Earth.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/07/20/moon-landing-40th-anniversary-gives-business-a-boost-in-wapakoneta/feed/0landing,moon,wapakonetaHailing the Apollo 11 astronauts as "three genuine American heroes," President Barack Obama says exploration spurs ingenuity and inspires students in math and science.Hailing the Apollo 11 astronauts as "three genuine American heroes," President Barack Obama says exploration spurs ingenuity and inspires students in math and science.WOSU Newsno3:07